Electric fence

ABSTRACT

An electric fence insulator formed from a short length of tubing, the curved surface of which is arranged to abut a supporting post, the tubing having an aperture through its walls receiving a securing member and also having a slot in its walls for receiving a fence wire to be electrified, and a retaining pin which extends through the tubing to retain the electrified wire in the slot, the retaining pin having the same configuration as the securing member.

United States Patent 11 1 Leiblich [4 1 Sept. 30, 1975 1 ELECTRIC FENCE [76] Inventor: Gordon Francis Leiblich, Kimba,

South Australia, Australia, 5641 [22] Filed: Oct. 19, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 407,882

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Oct. 24, 1972 Australia 0942/72 [52] US. Cl. 256/10; 256/47; 174/158 F [51] Int. Cl. AOIK 3/00; H01B 17/16 [58] Field of Search 256/10, 47, 48, 50, 53,

256/l3.l;174/158 F, 161 F, 163 F [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,078,704 4/1937 Baxter 256/13.1

2,204,556 6/1940 256/I3.I 2,238,523 4/1941 256/13.l 2,323,514 7/1943 Brickman 256/l3.l

2,429,857 10/1947 Verner 256/48 X 2,618,685 11/1952 Lewis 256/10 X 3,266,778 8/1966 Wogerbauer 256/47 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,309,412 8/1962 France 256/47 1,194,237 5/1959 France 174/163 F Primary Examiner-Dennis 1.. Taylor Attorney, Agent, or FirmJay L. Chaskin, Esq.

[5 7 ABSTRACT An electric fence insulator formed from a short length of tubing, the curved surface of which is arranged to abut a supporting post, the tubing having an aperture through its walls receiving a securing member and also having a slot in its walls for receiving a fence wire to be electrified, and a retaining pin which extends through the tubing to retain the electrified wire in the slot, the retaining pin having the same configuration as the securing member.

4 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet 1 Of2 3,908,964

US. Patent Sept. 30,1975 Sheet20f2 3,908,964

ELECTRIC FENCE BACKGROUND or THE INVENTION In my co-pending Australian Patent Application No. 55838/73 (corresponding to US. and Canadian Applications 361993 and 172304 respectively) I described a fence dropper (which term also includes a fence post) and a method of rn'anufaeturegand one of the features of the fence dropper was that, like other standard fence droppers and posts in common use, it had a pair of outwardly diverging vertically extending surfaces. Such a fence dropper or post is very useful in the erecting of fences, and has been found to greatly reduce the amount of time required in the'ere'ction of a fence.

Both with fences erected with the droppers and posts as described in my specification and also with fences erected using'the standard stardroppers, there is a need for quick andeffi cient erection of electric fences. I-Ieretofore electric fences have been erected by firstly securing to the fence-posts respective porcelain insulators, this being a slow job, the wire then being run out, and successively secured to the insulators along the fence line. The securing means has usually involved the use of tie wire to tie the electrical fence wire to the insulators; and the securing of the insulators has usually been effected by means of attaching with wood screws or alternatively wiring with tie wire to posts or droppers. In both: instances the arrangement is physically not strong, it is slow to erect and the labour and material costs'are both high.

MAIN OBJECT OF THE INVENTION The main object of this invention is to provide an inexpensive electric fence insulator assembly which may be quickly and easily assembled onto a series of posts, and to which a fence wire may be quickly and efficiently coupled, and yet result in an electrified wire which is substantially rugged and not likely to be easily damaged by stock.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Briefly the invention consists, in the first instance, of a fence insulator assembly having an insulator and a securing member and retaining pin, the securing member being useful for securing an insulator to a post, and the retaining pin for retaining a wire to the insulator, the insulator having abutment surfaces which abut against complementary surfaces on the post and are secured thereto by the securing member and the insulator also having a slot, the retaining pin being insertable through a retaining pin aperture to retain a fence wire in a slot.

More specifically an electric fence insulator assembly according to this invention consists of an insulator formed from material having a high electrical resistivity, an abutment face on one side of the insulator arranged for abutment against a surface of a supporting post, a securing member aperture passing through the insulator and adjacent the abutment face, a securing member extending through the aperture and being of such length as to be engageable with the supporting post so as to secure the insulator to the post, a fence wire receiving slot extending into the insulator from the side opposite the abutment face, a retaining pin aperture extending through the insulator and opening into the walls of the slot, and a retaining pin insertable through the retaining pin aperture and defining with the" slot walls at its base'fence wire retaining means.

In another form the invention may be summarized as consisting of an insulator assembly as defined above in combination with a fence post and fence wire, and still further the invention may be summarized as a method of attaching a fence wire to but insulating it from a series of fence posts which comprises the steps of firstly securing insulators each of which is in accordance with the above definition to each respective post of a series of fence posts by positioning a securing member through the securing member aperture of the insulator and securing the securing member to the post, positioning the fence wire into the slot of an insulator so secured, inserting the retaining pin through the retaining pin aperture to thereby engage the fence wire and retain it in the slot, and similarly positioning and retaining the fence wire in the insulator secured to other posts successively.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder in some detail with reference toand is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a plan section, shown as line 11 on FIG. 2, and illustrating a post having an insulator assembly secured thereto, and retaining a fence wire,

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary elevation of the post which is shown in FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a front elevation of FIG. 2, and

FIG. 4 is a section which corresponds to FIG. 1 but illustrating the commonly used star section post.

In this embodiment an electrical fence insulator assembly is designated 10 and comprises an insulator 11 whichis formed from polyvinylchloride tubing, comprising a tubular wall 12 of a short length of circular tube which surrounds a central hollow 13, the tubular wall 12 having an abutment face designated 15 on one side of the insulator and retained in abutment against a pair of outwardly diverging vertically extending surfaces 16 of a post designated 17 in FIGS. 1 and 3. The tubular wall 12 contains an aperture designated 20 which is a securing member aperture, and extends through the wall 12 at two localities as shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, the aperture 20 containing a securing member 21 which is of such length that it can engage the post 17. The other side of the tubular insulator 11 is provided with a fence wire receiving slot designated 24, and this slot receives a fence wire designated 25. The central hollow 13 of the insulator 11 forms a retaining pin aperture, and a retaining pin 26 extends therethrough, the retaining pin 26 defining with the slot walls designated 27 at the base of the slot fence wire retaining means so that the pin 26 engages the outer surface of the fence wire 25 and prevents its dislodgement outwardly, while the slot walls 27 near the base of the slot prevent its dislodgement inwardly, thereby firmly retaining the fence wire 25 within the receiving slot 24.

As will be seen from the drawings, although the length may vary the ends and diameters of the retaining pins and securing members are substantially identical.

In each case the end is provided with a return formation 30 which defines a U shape, and terminates in an outwardly sloping portion 31, and in the case of the securing member the return formation extends around the flange 32 of the post 17, while in the case of the retaining pin, the end formation extends around the upper edge of the tubular wall 12.

In the embodiment of FIG. 4, wherein a star section post is used, the post-is designated 35 and contains apertures 36 in one of the flanges (this being a standard arrangement) and in such cases the securing members 21 are longer than when used with the posts or droppers as illustrated in the other three drawings, and extend through the apertures 36 being turned over at their ends as shown in FIG. 4.

When it is desired to attach a fence wire 25 to be electrified to a series of posts, firstly each post has secured to it an insulator by means of the securing member 21 secured as shown in FIG. 1 or FIG. 4, or otherwise if the posts are of different configuration. For example a wooden post may be provided with a large headed nail, the shank of which is engaged by the return formation 30. The wire 25 is then run out" alongside the fence, and is lifted at one end into the receiving slot 24 and is retained therein by merely dropping the retaining pin 26 through that portion of the central hollow 13 which contains the slot 24. This is repeated along the fence, and as each retaining pin 26 is inserted, the assembly of the insulator is completed. It will immediately be seen by those skilled in the art that the erection method is exceedingly simple and much lower in cost than many of the methods now used, notwithstanding that the resultant fence is much more secure and less liable to damage due to abuse by stock or for other reasons. I

What we claim is:

1. An electric fence insulator assembly comprising an insulator formed from material having high electrical resistivity and having a hollow tubular shape, an abutment face on one side of the insulator arranged for abutment against a surface of a supporting post; a securing member aperture passing transversely through the tubular wall at two'localities spaced from each other one on eachside of said abutment face; a securing member comprising a wire having a return portion at one end thereof, the securing member passing entirely through the aperture, the member return portion engaging the post to secure the insulator to the post; a fence wire receiving slot extending into the hollow of the insulator from the side opposite the abutment face;

and a retaining pin comprising a wire having a return portion at one end thereof extending through the hollow of the tubular insulator parallel to its longitudinal axis and against the inner wall surface, the pin wire engaging the insulator to define with the slot walls at its base fence wire retaining means.

2. An electric fence insulator assembly according to claim 1 wherein the securing member and the retaining pin are of substantially identical configuration.

3. An electric fence insulator assembly according to claim 1 wherein said material having high electrical resistivity is polyvinylchloride.

4. In combination, a fence post, electric insulator assembly and fence wire wherein:

the fence post comprises a pair of outwardly diverging vertically extending surfaces;

the insulator assemblycomprises an insulator having a vertically extending length of circular tube having a wall of polyvinylchloride surrounding a central hollow and having a securing member aperture extending transversely therethrough at two localities spaced from each other, the outer wall surface between said localities comprising an abutment face on one side of the tube, there being a lateral slot in the tube wall on the other side, a securing member and a retaining pin, the securing member and the retaining pin each being a wire member having a return portion defining a U formation and terminating in an outwardly sloping portion;

the securing member extending horizontally through the securing member aperture and having its return portion extending aroundan edge of the fence post thereby securing the insulator to the post, the fence wire extending through the slot, the retaining pin extending vertically within the central hollow, engaging the fence wire thereby to retain it in said slot, and the return portion of the retaining pin extending around the upper edge of the tube. 

1. An electric fence insulator assembly comprising an insulator formed from material having high electrical resistivity and having a hollow tubular shape, an abutment face on one side of the insulator arranged for abutment against a surface of a supporting post; a securing member aperture passing transversely through the tubular wall at two localities spaced from each other one on each side of said abutment face; a securing member comprising a wire having a return portion at one end thereof, the securing member passing entirely through the aperture, the member return portion engaging the post to secure the insulator to the post; a fence wire receiving slot extending into the hollow of the insulator from the side opposite the abutment face; and a retaining pin comprising a wire having a return portion at one end thereof extending through the hollow of the tubular insulator parallel to its longitudinal axis and against the inner wall surface, the pin wire engaging the insulator to define with the slot walls at its base fence wire retaining means.
 2. An electric fence insulator assembly according to claim 1 wherein the securing member and the retaining pin are of substantially identical configuration.
 3. An electric fence insulator assembly according to claim 1 wherein said material having high electrical resistivity is polyvinylchloride.
 4. In combination, a fence post, electric insulator assembly and fence wire wherein: the fence post comprises a pair of outwardly diverging vertically extending surfaces; the insulator assembly comprises an insulator having a vertically extending length of circular tube having a wall of polyvinylchloride surrounding a central hollow and having a securing member aperture extending transversely therethrough at two localities spaced from each other, the outer wall surface between said localities comprising an abutment face on one side of the tube, there being a lateral slot in the tube wall on the other side, a securing member and a retaining pin, the securing member and the retaining pin each being a wire member having a return portion defining a U formation and terminating in an outwardly sloping portion; the securing member extending horizontally through the securing member aperture and having its Return portion extending around an edge of the fence post thereby securing the insulator to the post, the fence wire extending through the slot, the retaining pin extending vertically within the central hollow, engaging the fence wire thereby to retain it in said slot, and the return portion of the retaining pin extending around the upper edge of the tube. 